Tape prefeeder



Nov. 15, 1949 A. F. SHIELDS TAPE PREFEEDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 3, 1948 INVEN'I'OR. ALBEQT A (YA/[5505 NOV. 15, 1949 s|-||ELD$ 2,488,339

TAPE PREFEEDER Filed March 3, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E4 g E.

Blam

Patented Nov. 15, 1949 TAPE PREFEEDEK Albert F. Shields, Forest Hills, N. Y., assignor to S & S Corrugated Paper Machinery 00., 1110., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 3, 1948, Serial No. 12,839

Claims. 1

My present invention relates to taping machines and more particularly to means for feeding the tape properly from the supply roller and into position where the tape may readily be secured to the blanks fed through the machine.

Specifically my invention relates to means for maintaining proper slack in the tape and'for prefeeding the tape so that the remainder of the taping machine may be able readily to draw out the tape.

In taping machines of the type generally herein contemplated folded cartons are fed successively past a tape applicator by which an end of the tape is secured to the leading end of the carton; and as the carton or folded blank continues to move, it draws out the tape from the tape supply while at the same time the tape is applied to the seam.

The tape is cut off at the trailing end of the seam; and the tape mechanism is so arranged that the tape is fed forward slightly on to the next succeeding blank and secured again to the leading end of the seam of the next blank whereupon the continued movement of the blank draws out the tape once more.

Thus, in taping machines of this type there are specific feed members which feed out the tape for a distance of approximately three inches until the tape is pasted down at the leading end of the seam. Thereafter the continued movement of the blank, which blank may be twenty, thirty, or more inches long, pulls out the tape as the machine presses the tape down on to the seam.

These two motions, first the specific feed motion in order to place the end of the tape on the seam, and, second the movement of the blank to draw out the tape, place a strain on the tape itself which may tear or break the tape. Accordingly, it becomes extremely important to maintain the proper slack in the tape. Also, and of primary importance, the proper slack loop is necessary to obtain accurate registry of the tape on the box. Improper or variable tension will lead to long or short tape or to tape that is offset from the seam.

Various means have been provided in order to maintain slack in the tape but these means have been cumbersome and expensive and have actually depended not so much on the movement of the tape itself as on the movement of the blanks orother portions of the apparatus.

My invention contemplates a specific feeding apparatus for the tape which will positively pull the tape on the supply roller to a predetermined degree of slack and which will operate automat- 2 is ically to pull the tape ed the supplyroll in accordance with the degree of slack.

The tape feeding means is arranged so that it will pull the tape off the supply roll at a faster rate than the tape is applied to the folded carton I and will do so in a positive manner, thus ensuring that there will always be sufficient slack for the tape to be applied to the blank without strain on the tape. The supply roll is often subject to braking action in order to prevent overrunning; this adds to the necessity for a tape feeder.

A primary object of my invention is the improvement of the structure shown in my application Serial No. 659,636 filed April 4, 1946 by the provision of a driven member for supporting the delivery end of the slack loop so that back tension on the tape adjacent the tape feed rolls and the cutter is reduced.

Another object of my invention is the provision of novel tape feeding means which will maintain proper slack between the tape supply roll and the remainder of the tape supplying apparatus.

Another object of my invention is the provision of novel tape prefeeding means which will automatically be energized to maintainthe proper slack as the slack is used up, with a slightly modified construction of the slack loop lift member.

Figure l is a general schematic view in perspective showing my novel tape feeding means in connection with one form of tape applying mechanism.

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the tape feeding apparatus of Figure 1 showing another position of the tape feeding apparatus thereof.

Referring now to Figure 1, I have here shown generally a taping machine of the type described in my Patent No. 2,467,275 issued April 12, 1949. The tape feeding apparatus is shown at I I and may obviously be used in connection with other types of taping machines or feeding operations in which proper slack is to be maintained. However, in order to understand the full operation of the tape feeding apparatus II, a brief preliminary description of the taping machine ID will be useful. This is especially so since it will demonstrate the problems that are involved.

The folded blank [3 is fed forward in any suitable manner as by the feedrolls I4 up to the gate I5. At an appropriate interval, as controlled by the apparatus as described in the above-men'- tioned application, the gate I5 is lowered b rotation of shaft I6 and crank arm I! engaging plate I8 on post I9 which supports the gate l5. This compresses spring 20 between the'colla'r 2| on post I9 and perforated lug 22 on the frame of the apparatus. The feed rolls I4 may now move the blank I3 forward over the top of lowered gate I5 where the blank I3 is engaged by feed rolls 25 which push the blank up against the front stops 26 on chains 21. Chains 21 move also in the direction indicated by the arrow and control the forward movement of blank I3.

As the leading end of seam 30 passes beneath the feed rollers 32, the feed rollers 32 are actuated as described in the above application to feed the tape past the knife 33 and beneath the pressure roller 34 on to the leading end of the seam 30. The blank I3 as it now continues to move forward beneath pressure roller 34 and appropriate feed means also described in the above application pulls out the tape 3|.

When the trailing end of the seam 30 is reached the knife 33 is actuated by cam 36 on shaft 31 to drop down and cut off the tape. Shaft 31 is operated through sprocket 38 and chain 39 in appropriate timed relation with shaft 40. Chain 39 is here shown schematically. Actually chain 39 in the final apparatus is so arranged that it passes as a continuous chain around the sprockets of all the operating parts thus ensuring that all the operating parts work in unison and in appropriate timed relation.

Feed rolls 32 are operated from shaft 42 preferably by an appropriate cam arrangement connected to shaft 31 also in a manner described in the above application. The knife 33 is mounted on the end of knife link 43 which is pivotally secured to lever 44 which in turn is mounted on pivot 45. Tension spring 46 biases lever 44 and hence the knife 33 downwardly. Cam holds up the lever 44 until the appropriate drop off point is reached when lever 44 may drop down and cut the tape.

All of the apparatus above described is shown in the above-mentioned application and requires no further description here. The apparatus is described here by way of example only since the tape prefeed Il may obviously be used in connection with any other type of taping apparatus.

Essentially, it will be seen that the problem here is first to feed the tape the two or three inches necessary to cause the tape to move from the feed rollers 33 under the tape applying roller 34. Thereafter the movement of the blank I3 in the direction indicated by the arrow pulls out the tape 3|. the feed rollers 32 being appropriately ratcheted to permit the tape to be pulled out with respect thereto. If the tape were pulled directly from the supply roll 58 over the water roll 5|, then unnecessary strains would develop in the tape and thus the composite pull first by rollers 82 and then by the blank I3 may tear the tape or result in inaccurate registry ofthe tape on the seam of the box.

Accordingly, my novel feeder II is so designed that it will always maintain an appropriate amount of slack between thetape supply roll 50 and the remaining portions of the taping machine apparatus so that the tape will-not be subjected to undue strains.

The shaft 31 is connected by. sprocket 52 and I chain 53 to sprocket 54 of shaft 55 which is the drive shaft for the tape feeder II. Drive shaft 55 is connected by universal joints 56 and 51 on either side of shaft 58 to the driven shaft 59 of driven pulley 60. Driven shaft 58 of pulley 60 passes through an opening 62 in lever 63 which lever is pivoted on the stationary pivot 84.

Tape supply roll 50 is mounted on shaft 65.-

4 The tape 3| which is pulled off the tape supply roll 5|) passes over the driven roll 69 and then down past guide roll 10 and over the water roll 5|.

Roll 69 on shaft I00 is driven by sprocket ll 1 driven in turn by chain I02 and sprocket I03 on shaft I04. Shaft I04 is driven by sprocket I05 which engages chain 53 as shown.

Driven roll 69 serves to balance the slack loop 84 and to assist in feeding the tape to the feed rolls .32. Slack control idler 68 is mounted on the end of lever arm 15 which in turn' has a collar 16 with an opening 11 therein mounted over stud 65 for pivotal rotation thereabout. Collar 16 has the short extension which is so arranged that it engages roller 8| at the end of lever 63 opposite the pivot 64.

When the slack control roller 68 is down in position shown in Figure l, the lever 15 is also down as shown and extension 80 thereof is in the up position lifting the roller 8| of Figure 2, where a roller is used, or lifting the extension 8Iaof lever 63 where a roller is deemed unnecessary as in Figure 1.

This lifts the lever 63 about the pivot 64 and thus also lifts shaft 59 and driven pulley 60. As the tape 3| is drawn out, the reduction of the slack loop 84 which thus occurs lifts the slack 1 control roller 68 as shown by comparison of Figures 1 and 2, thus lifting the lever 15 and dropping down the extension 80. This causes roller 8| of lever 63 to drop down and thus causes the driven roller 60' to drop down on to the portion of the tape passing over idler 61.

Driven roller 60 is continuously driven at higher peripheral speed than the required linear speed of tape 3|. Consequently, contact of roller 60 with the portion of tape 3| over idler 61 will pull oil tape 3| from supply roll 50 at a faster rate than the tape 3| is pulled oil" by roller 32 or blank I3 of the taping machine. This will cause the slack loop 84 to be increased from the small loop 84a of Figure 2 to the big loop 84 of Figure 1, thus permitting the slack control roller 68 and its associate lever 15 to drop down. Consequently, extension 80 of lever 15 will rise lifting roller 8| and lever 63, thus lifting shaft 59 and the driven roller 60 to the position shown in Figure 1. Extension 80 of lever 15 is actually, as shown, a sharp bump on collar 16 so that driven roll 60 will contact the tape at all positions of arm 15 except at the extreme lower position shown in Figure 1.

As soon as the slack tends to be used up once more, the tape :feeder moves again to the upper extremeposltion of Figure 2 when again the driven roller 66 will contact the portion of the tape 3| over idler 61 and draw off more slack. Again since the peripheral speed of roller 60 is higher than the linear speed required for tape 3|, any of the slack 84 which is used up by any tapingoperation will be immediately restored without excess tension on the tape. ..The taping machine will at all times only pull on the slack loop 84 which slack loop is continuously restored faster than the taping machine can pull the tape out and the length of slack loop 84 is controlled by reason of the fact that the roller 60 which creates the slack loop 84 is raised as soon as the slack loop is sufiicient in length.

By this means, therefore, a simplified tape feeder is obtained which creates continuously a proper slack loop and thus ensures that the taping machine will pull only on the slack p and not directly on the tapesupply roll. The reason for the universal joints obvious since a drive must prevail from shaft 55 to shaft 5! even though shaft I8 is intermittently raised and lowered.

Tension spring I28 engaging lever II biases the lever to slack loop forming position and hence biases lever 63 to maintain roller 60 out of engagement with roller 1.

Driven roll 60 is smooth and turns at a peripheral speed above the linearspeed of the tape application. When arm 15 drops the loop 84 which is formed is loose so there is no tension of the tape iii and roll 89 which is smooth will not pull the tape.

As soon as more tape is required, this demand will be felt first in a tensioning of the tape 3| over member 69 causing it to contact the periphery of this roll and'be pulled forward by it a) raise the arm 78 which was in the down posion. Y

In this manner, when a sudden demand for tape is made, the tension in the tape builds up not to the value required to lift arm 35 but only to that sufficient to wrap aroundmolLEQ. Then roll 89 provides the force necessary to ii iii.

a peripheral speed greater than the linear speed at which the tape 86 is to be pulled out for any operation of the taping machine. Consequently, the moment the slack loop 84 is decreased thus lifting slack control roller-68, the driven roller 60 will contact the portion of tape 3| passing over idler 81 and will quickly pull out another slack loop so that the taping machine will always pull only on the roll 69 and in turn on the slack loop 84 and not directly on the supply roll 50.

By means of the foregoing, therefore, I have provided a simple device which will always feed an appropriate slack loop at a greater rate than the taping machine can pull out the slack loop but which will always maintain the slack loop at less than a predetermined maximum size.

As soon as the slack loop of predetermined size is drawn, the tape feeder halts, but as soon as the slack loop is used up the tape feeder is brought into operation to recreate the slack loop before the taping machine can pull directly on the supply roller 50. Thus, undue strains on the tape owing to the pulling of the tape by various portions of the taping machine are avoided.

In the foregoing, I have described my invention solely in connection with a specific preferred embodiment thereof. Since many variations and modifications of my invention will now be obvious to those skilled in the art, I prefer to be bound not by the specific disclosure herein contained but only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A web feeder comprising means for mounting a supply roll; means for drawing web from the supply roll and means for feeding the web to maintain a slack loop between the supply roll and the means for drawing the web therefrom; said web feeding means comprising a driven roll driven at a peripheral speed greater than the linear speed of the web imparted thereto by the means for drawing the web from the supply roll; said roll being mounted between the supply roll and the means for drawing the web therefrom; means for engaging the roll with said web to form the slack loop between the supply roll and the means for drawing the web therefrom; and means for disengaging the roll from the web when a slack loop of predetermined length is formed;

It and 51 now becomes- The continuously driven roller 66 is driven at an additional roll between said driven roll and the means for drawing the web; said additional roll supporting a portion of the tape and assisting in forming the slack loop; said additional roll 5 being driven continuously in the direction of movement of the web;

2. A web feeder comprising means for mounting a supply roll; means for drawingweb from the supply roll and means for feeding .the web 10 to maintain a slack loop between the supply roll and the means for drawing the web therefrom; said web feeding means comprising a driven roll driven at a peripheral speed greater than the linear speed of the web imparted thereto by the means for drawing the web from the supply roll; said roll being mounted between the supply roll and the means for drawing the web therefrom;

means for engaging the roll with said web to form the slack loop between the supply roll and the means for drawing the web therefrom; and means for disengaging the roll from the web when a slack loop of predetermined length is formed;'an additional roll between said driven roll and the means for drawing the web; said r additional roll supporting a portionof the tape amiassisting in forming the slack roll; said additional roll e riveirc ntinuously in the direction of movement of the web a egg greater than the speed at which the web drawing means draw the tape;

3. A web feeder comprising means for mounting a supply roll; means for drawing web from the supply roll and means for feeding the web to maintain a slack loop between the supply roll and the means for drawing the web therefrom; said web feeding means comprising a. driven roll driven at a peripheral speed greater than the linear speed of the web imparted thereto by the means for drawing the web from the supply roll; said roll being mounted between the supply roll and the means for drawing the web therefrom; means responsive to a reduction of the slack loop from a predetermined length to engage the roll with the web to feed the web from the supply roll at a speed greater than the web is withdrawn by the web drawing means to restore the slack loop to its predetermined length; said means being responsive to an increase of the slack loop to its said predetersaid means responsive to the length of the slack loop comprising a pivoted lever; guide means on one end of said lever for the lower portion of the slack loop; said guide means and said end of said lever being raised and lowered by the slack loop in accordance with the length of the slack loop; and a connection from said lever to said driven roll to move said roll out of engagement with the web when said end of the lever is lowered to a predetermined degree and to move said roll into engagement with said web when said end of the lever is raised; an additional roll between said driven roll and the means for drawing the web; said additional roll supporting a portion of the tape and assisting it in forming the slack loop; said additional roll being drivencontinuously in the direction of movement of the web.

4. A web feeder comprising means for mounting a supply roll; means for drawing web from the supply roll and means for feeding the web to maintain a. slack loop between the supply roll and the means for drawing the web therefrom; said web feeding means comprising a driven roll driven at a peripheral speed greater than the linear speed of the web imparted theremined length to disengage the roll from the web;

to by the means for drawing the web from the supply roll; said roll being mounted between the supply roll and the means for drawing the web therefrom; means responsive to afeduction of the slack loop from a predetermined length to engage the roll with the web to feed the web from the supply roll at a speed greater than the web is withdrawn by the web drawing means to restore the slack loop to its predetermined length; said means being responsive to an increase of the slack loop to its said predetermined length to disengage the roll from the web; said means responsive to the length of the slack loop comprising a pivoted lever; guide means on one end of said lever for the lower portion of the slack loop; said guide means and said end of said lever being raised and lowered by the slack loop in accordance with the length of the slack loop; and a connection from said lever to said driven roll to move said roll out of engagement with the web when said end of the lever is lowered to a predetermined degree and to move said roll into engagement with said web when said end of the lever is raised; an additional roll between said driven roll and the means for drawing the web; said additional roll supporting a portion of the tape and assisting in forming the slack roll; said additional roll being driven continuously in the direction of movement of the web at a peripheral speed greater than the speed at which the web drawing means draws the tape.

5. A web feeder comprising means for mounting a supply roll; means for drawing web from the supply roll and means for feeding the web to maintain a slack loop between the supply roll and the means for drawing the web therefrom; said web feeding means comprising a driven roll driven at a peripheral speed greater than the linear speed of the web imparted thereto by the means for drawing the web from the supplyroll; said roll being mounted between the length is formed; an additional roll between said a driven roll and the means for drawing the web; said additional roll supporting a portion of the tape; said additional roll being driven in the direction of movement of the web; said web engaging said additional roll when said web is tensioned; said roll drawing tape from the slack loop when the web is tensioned; the drawing ofthe web from the slack loop in turn operating the first-mentioned driven roll into engagement with the web to reform the slack loop.

ALBERT F. SHIELDS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,115,828 Johnston NOV. 3, 1914 1,587,639 Fleischer June 8, 1926 2,409,770 Lorig et a1 Oct. 22, 1946 

